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Less than half of Texans live in a county reporting job growth
The Center Square – Even though Texas is leading the country in job growth, the majority of the state’s population live in a county where employment fell or…
By Bethany Blankley · 2026-09-17T00:30:29.816Z
The Center Square – Even though Texas is leading the country in job growth, the majority of the state’s population live in a county where employment fell or remained flat over the past year, according to https://mailchi.mp/texas2036.org/tx workforce data and trends 091526?e=0942f31ba9 an analysis of job growth data by the Austin based think tank, Texas 2036.
“Texas has an established reputation as a job dynamo. But its workforce is changing, along with the skills Texans need to secure the family sustaining jobs of the future,” the report states. “Over the past year, Texas’ job growth was strong at the state level. But where that growth landed was uneven. Fewer than half of Texans live in a county where employment grew — a gap that never shows up in the statewide total.”
Texas’ civilian labor force totaled 15.9 million in July. Its annual job growth rate also outpaced the national job growth rate as it has for the last several years, The Center Square reported. https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 1cb752ce 6921 4cc8 9811 22e1b67dbf16.html
Texas’ job growth rate is significant for two reasons, Texas 360 notes. “The state's labor force — everyone 16 and older who is working or actively looking for work — grew by 0.1% to 15.9 million during a time when the nation’s fell by 0.8%.” And Texas “accounted for roughly half of the nation's net job growth in the 12 months through July. It also added workers in a year when the country lost workers.”
As The Center Square previously reported, the top sectors reporting the most growth were trade, transportation and utilities, accounting for one in five jobs in July. Professional and business services added roughly 67,000 jobs in July, bringing the sector’s total jobs to 2.2 million in the first six months of the year, according to Texas Workforce Commission data.
Multiple sectors reported job losses, including the upstream sector https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 24fff4f9 9184 4cd8 b2ec c1f1cb778c4e.html of the oil and natural gas industry, information, manufacturing, financial activities and government.
The analysis compared the data by county, noting that over the past year, employment increased in 103 counties, by 40.6%; declined in 42 counties, by 16.5%; and remained flat in 109 counties, by 42.9%.
The differential is important because it points to 53% of Texans living in a county where employment fell or stayed flat over the past year, the think tank notes.
“Texas' economy is still outgrowing the country's. But the same data shows job growth slowing for four straight years, and that growth reaching some parts of the state and not others,” Dr. Tracy Ayrhart, vice president of Data and Research, Texas 2036, said. “That's why we watch these trends closely — to see what's coming for Texas’ labor force, while there's still time to prepare.”
According to a new Texas 2036 Texas Voter Poll, 59% surveyed said they “were confident there will be good opportunities for people like them over the next few years;” 34% said they weren’t.
The report’s findings come as Gov. Greg Abbott is campaigning across the state on an affordability tour.
Under President Donald Trump, costs have escalated despite his campaign promise to lower them.
Abbott’s affordability plan includes reducing property https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 81dfdaf8 11bb 48de a1e2 55d2c198402e.html and casualty insurance costs, reducing auto insurance costs, instituting new policies for homeowners impacted by storms and inclement weather, reducing https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article f339474f f9c9 46dd 997c 026034c20b58.html property taxes, reducing electricity https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 569bedeb 8589 4a41 82ba b4d955311e39.html costs in some regions, lowering housing costs, creating a new https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 1dfa5efa 0f79 49ac a969 6b781d53e433.html health insurance plan, and reducing public higher education institution tuition https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 02dd57a6 f41c 43f8 b0e3 bc75b64a88fe.html , among other proposals.
The report’s findings come after multiple polls show Abbott and other Republicans are in tight races. Multiple races that were previously considered solid Republican wins have been classified as toss ups or leaning Democrat.
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article 1b949605 bc12 4eab 826c 25d9808e5c02.html .